I can break this question down into a few parts. Personal. Career. Family. Different sectors of my little happy life. Personal aspirations? Achieve physical balance and health. I've already lost 8 lbs since Oct, halfway to my goal. I plan to continue to eat healthy (as I always do, minus chocolate :), and keep busting my ass at work. I come home sweaty and exhausted and I'm certain the physical nature of my job has helped with the weight loss. I plan to continue to stretch, exercise, keep going to PT and massage to get my body into tip-top shape for when that little baby decides it'd like to shack up and stay for 9 months or so....I wanna make sure my body is a happy home before getting pregnant.
Career. I'm happy at work. I'm overwhelmed at work. I feel stupid each. and. every. day. at work. I'm hoping that feeling subsides as time goes on. I feel like this prompt applies very much to my career aspirations. I'm a lifelong nerd and am already looking deeper into post-masters and doctoral programs to satisfy my hunger for learning. I come home most days from work thinking, "what do i have to study tonight?...oh, yeah, NOTHING because school's done" :) I am seriously considering three different programs that would lead to one of two different advanced practice nursing degrees. Yes, my ultimate goal is to be a nurse-midwife, win a million dollars or two and open up the first freestanding birth centers in Illinois (the law passed years ago, rules and regs are going thru the gov't, now just need investors/hospital backing to build). But. I want to have a semi-normal life. I am selfish right now and wouldn't want to be on call on Christmas or my future kid's birthday or graduation because my patient is in labor. I think midwifery is my ultimate calling, but perhaps once my future children are older. I am looking at the Frontier School of Nursing in Hyden, Kentucky. It's a very well respected program, started by one of the founders of nursing practice, Mary Breckenridge (who provided care by traveling on horseback in Appalachia). They have an amazing Women's Health Nurse Practitioner or Certified Nurse-Midwife distance learning post-masters or doctorate. You take most of the didactic courses online, go to Kentucky once a year for a week, then when you're ready for clinical residency, you work with a preceptor in your community. It would take about 2 and a 1/2 years part time. Evanston would pay for about $4000 a year! I'm hoping to apply for next school year. So, yea, I think I will pursue Women's Health Nurse Practitioner certification in the near future. I like the nurse educator role and I know I'd enjoy a clinic setting, helping educate and help women throughout their lifespan. Basically, I want to do everything and be everywhere. I want to help as many women as I can. I want to see health equality and transparency in maternity care in my lifetime. I want to advocate for evidence-based care not anecdotal recommendations to drive patient care. I want to give power back to the woman and encourage education and self-empowerment.
Family aspirations? Save. Enjoy. Travel. Babies. Time together. Pretty much just savor the time with my amazing family. I've got one incredible husband and we're both a bit overworked. Spending quality time together is medicine for our souls and renews us. Spending fun times with our family does the trick as well, I love nothing more than laughing with our family over a nice yummy dinner. We are so blessed.
What sets you on fire? What do you hope to achieve in this one lovely life?
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